Collapsible signal device



Oct. 2, 1962 P. N NELSON 3,056,377

COLLAPSIBLE SIGNAL DEVICE Filed Oct. 50, 1961 INVENToR. PERM/L /V /VSLsa/V United States Patent Ofice 3,056,377 Patented ct. 2, 1962 3,056,377 COLLAPSEBLE. SIIGNAL DEVCE Perrnil N. Nelson, Galesburg, Ill., assigner to Lynn H. Ewing, d.b.a. Blackhawk Company, Rock Island, Ill. Filed Oct. 30, 1961, Ser. No. 148,607 3 Claims. (Ci. 116-63) My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a collapsible signal device, and more particularly to a signal device made up into a kit which is collapsible, highly portable and capable of ready assembling so that it is a convenient signal device designed to be conveniently carried in automobiles or trucks, or the like.

A particular object of my invention is in the provision in a device of this character of an arrangement of parts which when assembled provides an emergency signal.

A further object of my invention is in the provision in a device of this character of a means for removably connecting a reflector plate to a collapsible supporting structure.

Yet another object of my invention is in the provision in a device of this character of a means for removably connecting a signal flag to the assembled signal device with the signal flag in an elevated, unobstructed position with respect to the supporting structure of the signal device.

A still further object of my invention is in the provision in a device of this character of a collapsible supporting structure comprising triangularly disposed supporting plates for supporting in an elevated position a reflector plate and signal flag.

An equally important object of my invention is in the provision in a device of this character of an arrangement of parts which have a collapsed position, which are easily assembled into an extended position, which parts are economical to manufacture and highly efficient in use.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view showing my emergency signal kit in its assembled condition.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view on a reduced scale of the device as seen in FIG. 1 with the flag removed.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view on a reduced scale of my signal device in a semi-disassembled condition.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the signal flag associated with my device showing in dotted lines its collapsed and extended positions, and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view on a reduced scale of a suitable container in section for the signal device of my invention when it is to be stored in a collapsed condition.

This invention relates to a collapsible, portable emergency signal device that is especially useful to highway travelers or the like.

It may be easily and inconspicuously stored and yet readily assembled when needed.

The emergency signal device of this invention is adapted for day or nighttime use and as such is equipped with a large reflector surface and a warning flag.

My signal device comprises a reflector plate 10 mounted upon a base plate 11. The lower edge of the base plate 11 is provided with spaced apart apertures 12. These apertures 12 are adapted to receive the free ends of corresponding spaced apart connecting pins 13 carried by a supporting structure hereinafter described.

Mounted on the back of the base plate 11 adjacent the top or upper edge thereof is a substantially U-shaped socket 14. This socket 14 is adapted to receive one end of a signal flag standard 15. The supporting structure for the refiector plate 1t) comprises two leg plates 16 and 17. These leg plates 16 and 17 have corresponding edge portions 18 and 19 respectively, which are oppositely angled with respect to each other, out :of the longitudinal planes of their respective leg plates 16 and 17, as readily seen in FIG. 3.

The leg plates 16 and 17 are by a hinged. member 20 hingedly connected together along the line defined by the angular displacement of the portions 1S and 19 with respect to the longitudinal length of their respective leg plates 16 and 17. A latch 21 is pivotally connected by a hinge 22 to the rear surface of the leg plate 17. A latch plate 23 is connected to the inner confronting face of the leg plate 16 as seen in FIGS. 2. and 3.

The angled portion 19 of leg plate 17, is provided with notched out portions 24 which are in alignment with the connecting pins 13 carried by the angled portion 18 of the leg plate 16 so that when the leg plates 16 and 17 are latched in a supporting position in a manner hereinafter described, the connecting pins 13 will have their free ends positioned within the notched out portions 24, as seen in FIGS. l and 2.

In assembling the reflector plate 10 to the supporting structure comprising the leg plates 16 and 17, the lower edge 25 of the base plate 11 is positioned between the angular portions 18 and 19 of the unlatched leg plates 16 and 17. The connecting pins 13 carried by the angled portion 18 of leg plate 16 are inserted into the apertures 12 formed in the base plate 11. The leg plates 16 and 17 will then have their free ends spread apart pivoting the angled portions 18 and 19 into bearing engagement with the opposite side faces of the face plate 11 adjacent its lowerrnost edge. The latch 21 is pivoted clockwise as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 until the free end thereof snaps into locking engagement with the top edge of the latch plate 23 thus latching the leg plates 16 and 17 in a self-supporting position. It should be noted that the latch 21 is of a length slightly longer than the distance between the leg plates 16 and 17 measured horizontally from the top of the latch plate 23 so that the latch 21 must be forcibly pivoted in a clockwise direction until it latches over the top edge of the latch plate 23 as viewed in FIG. 2.

The emergency signal device in its assembled condition is then ready to receive the `standard 15 of a signal flag 26. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 the signal fiag comprises a structure whereby the supporting standard therefor is collapsible into a reduced size. To accomplish this, the signal flag 26 is connected to one edge of a pivot arm 27. This pivot arm 27 by means of a hinge 28 is connected to a corresponding pivot arm 29 which in turn carries the standard 15. The standard 15 has its free upper edge 30 curved in the direction away from the pivot arm 29. The bottom edge 31 of the pivot arm 27 is adapted to frictionally snap behind the curved edge 30 or latch lip when the signal dag 26 is ready to be carried by the socket 14 provided by the base plate 11 which supports the reflector plate 10.

When the device is not used as an emergency signal it may be collapsed into the position shown in FIG. 5 and stored within a suitable container 32 as shown.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification Without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new land desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A collapsible and portable emergency signal device including a structure for supporting in a vertical plane an elevated signal means, said signal means including a light reflector plate removably carried by said structure, said structure for supporting said reiiector plate in a vertical plane comprising a pair of leg plates hinged together along corresponding edge portions whereby their opposite free edges can pivot toward and away from each other, a hinge connecting said leg plates together so that they may be collapsed toward each other into facial abutment in a non-supporting position, said leg plates along their hinged edge portions providing oppositely angled extensions pivotable into parallel spaced relation and between which said light reilector plate is adapted to be clamped when said legs are pivoted away from each other in a supporting position, one of said angled extensions providing connecting pins extending at right angles with respect thereto and in the direction of the other angled extension when said leg plates are pivoted away from each other into a supporting position, said other angled extension having slots formed therein in registration with and adapted to receive said connecting pins when said extensions are in clamping parallel re lation with respect to each other, said light reflector plate having apertures formed in its lowermost edge in registration with said connecting pins and said slots so said pins may extend therethrough and into said slots when said angled extensions are in clamping parallel relation on opposite sides of said lowermost edge of said light reflector plate, and a latch pivotally carried by one of said leg plates intermediate its ends, said latch pivotable into a horizontal plane between said leg plates so that its free end engages a latch plate carried by the other of said leg plates so as to maintain said leg plates in a spaced apart position with respect to each other and for pivoting said angled extensions into clamping parallel relation on opposite sides of the lowermost edge of said light reflector plate.

2. A collapsible and portable emergency signal device including a structure for supporting in a vertical plane an elevated signal means, said signal means including a light reflector plate removably carried by said structure, said structure for supporting said reilector plate in a vertical plane comprising a pair of leg plates hinged together along corresponding edge portions whereby their opposite free edges can pivot toward and away from each other, a hinge connecting said leg plates together so that they may be collapsed toward each other into facial abutment in a non-supporting position, said leg plates along their hinged edge portions providing oppositely angled extensions pivotable into parallel spaced relation and between which said light reflector plate is adapted to be clamped when said legs are pivoted away from each other in a supporting position, one of said angled extensions providing connecting pins extending at right angles with respect thereto and in the direction of the other angled extension when said leg plates are pivoted away from each other into a supporting position, said other angled extension having slots formed therein in registration with and adapted to receive said connecting pins when said extensions are in clamping parallel relation with respect to each other, said light reilector plate having apertures formed in its lowerrnost edge in registration with said connecting pins and said slots so said pins may extend therethrough and into said slots when said angled extensions are in clamping parallel relation on opposite sides of said lowermost edge of said light reflector plate, and a latch pivotally carried by one of said leg plates intermediate its ends, said latch pivotable into a horizontal plane between said leg plates so that its free end engages a latch plate carried by the other of said leg plates so as to maintain said leg plates in a spaced apart position with respect to each other and for pivoting said angled extensions into clamping parallel relation on opposite sides of the lowermost edge of said light reflector plate, said latch being of the length slightly greater than the normal distance between said leg plates when the latter are pivoted away from each other and said angled extensions are in a parallel spaced relation with respect to each other so that said leg plates will yieldably hold said latch in latching engagement with the latch plate.

3. A collapsible and portable emergency signal device including a structure for supporting in a vertical plane an elevated signal means, said signal means including a light reflector plate removably carried by said structure, said structure for supporting said said reector plate in a vertical piane comprising a pair of leg plates hinged together along corresponding edge portions whereby their opposite free edges can pivot toward and away from each other, a hinge connecting said leg plates together so that they may be collapsed toward each other into facial abutment in a non-supporting position, said leg plates along their hinged edge portions providing oppositely angled extensions pivotable into parallel spaced relation and between which said light reliector plate is adapted to be clamped when said legs are pivoted away from each other in a supporting position, one of said angled extensions providing connecting pins extending at right angles with respect thereto and in the direction of the other angled extension when said leg plates are pivoted away from each other into a supporting position, said other angled extension having slots formed therein in registration with and adapted to receive said connecting pins when said extensions are in clamping parallel relation with respect to each other', said light reflector plate having apertures formed in its lowerrnost edge in registration with said connecting pins and said slots so said pins may extend therethrough and into said slots when said angled extensions are in clamping parallel relation on opposite sides ot said lowermost edge of said light reilector plate, and a latch pivotally carried by one of said leg plates intermediate its ends, said latch pivotable into a horizontal plane between said leg plates so tha-t its free end engages a latch plate carried by the other of said leg plates so as to maintain said leg plates in a spaced apart position with respect to each other and for pivoting said angled extensions into clamping parallel relation on opposite sides of the lowermost edge of said light reflector plate, said latch being of the length slightly greater than the normal `distance between said leg plates when the latter are pivoted away from each other and said angled extensions are in a parallel spaced relation with respect to each other so that said leg plates will yieldably hold said latch in latching engagement with the latch plate, a signal iiag removably carried by said light reflector plate, and a socket member on said light reector plate adjacent the uppermost edge thereof vfor removably receiving in supporting relation said signal ilag when said light reflector plate is clamped in an elevated vertically extending plane between said angled extensions of said leg plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,436,298 Gunderson Feb. 17, 1948 2,718,080 Eaton Sept. 20, 1955 2,756,526 Stein July 31, 1956 2,863,238 Keech Dec. 9, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 537,254 Italy Feb. 17, 1948 

